# How to find your migraine triggers with a diary > The common migraine triggers, what to write in a headache diary, how long to keep it, and how to read it with your doctor without mistaking coincidence for cause. Canonical: https://lucernel.com/guides/find-your-migraine-triggers Last updated: 2026-10-12 Type: Guide. Publisher: Lucernel. ## Short answer Triggers differ from person to person, so the only way to find yours is to write down every attack and what came before it. MedlinePlus suggests recording when the pain began, what you ate and drank in the previous 24 hours, how much you slept, what you were doing, how long the headache lasted and what stopped it, then reviewing the diary with your provider. - **Choose this if:** A paper diary works if you fill it in right after each attack. - **Choose the other option if:** Miggry helps when you want each attack logged in seconds with the weather, sleep and meals beside it, and patterns shown only once there is enough data. ## Side by side | | Paper diary | Miggry | | --- | --- | --- | | Logs attacks with time, intensity and medication | Yes, by hand | Yes, in seconds | | Records good days for comparison | Partly, if you remember | Yes, daily context on good days too | | Weather and pressure beside each attack | No | Yes | | Shows patterns only with enough data | No | Yes, never as proof | | Report for your doctor | No | Yes, PDF or CSV | ## Common triggers MedlinePlus lists factors that can trigger a migraine; they vary from person to person. - Stress and anxiety, and hormonal changes in women. - Too much or not enough sleep, skipped meals and overexertion. - Sudden changes in weather or environment, bright or flashing lights, loud noises and strong smells. - Caffeine or caffeine withdrawal, tobacco and some medicines. - Medication overuse: taking migraine medicine too often. - Some foods, especially combined with other triggers: alcohol, chocolate, aged cheeses, MSG, some fruits and nuts, fermented or pickled foods, yeast, and cured or processed meats. ## What to write in your diary MedlinePlus suggests writing down, for every headache: - The day and time the pain began. - What you ate and drank over the previous 24 hours. - How much you slept. - What you were doing and where you were just before it started. - How long it lasted and what made it stop. ## Reading it without fooling yourself A trigger seen once or twice is a lead, not a verdict. Triggers add up: a skipped meal on a bad night of sleep may cause an attack that neither would cause alone. Record your good days too, so you can see whether a suspect appears just as often without an attack. Give it time: a few months of entries show far more than a couple of weeks. Then review the diary with your doctor, who can tell patterns from coincidences and plan treatment. ## When to talk to a doctor MedlinePlus advises talking to your provider if you take pain medicine three or more days a week, since frequent use can cause rebound headaches. Get help right away for a sudden, severe or unusual headache. Disclosure: Miggry is made by Lucernel, the publisher of this article. ## Frequently asked questions ### What are the most common migraine triggers? Stress, hormonal changes, too much or too little sleep, skipped meals, weather changes, bright lights, strong smells, alcohol, caffeine and medication overuse are among those listed by MedlinePlus. ### How long should I keep a headache diary? Long enough to see several attacks: a few months tells you far more than a couple of weeks. ### Can food trigger migraines? For some people, yes, especially combined with other triggers. Alcohol, chocolate, aged cheeses and MSG are among the foods MedlinePlus mentions. ### Why should I record days without headaches? Because a suspected trigger only matters if it appears more often before attacks than on good days. ### Is Miggry available? See the official app page for current availability and pricing. ## Our pick: Miggry, a migraine diary with the weather beside it Miggry is the diary MedlinePlus describes, made quick: log an attack in seconds, keep sleep, meals and medication beside it on good days too, and see patterns only when there is enough data to mean something. - Attack logged in seconds, even on a bad day - Sleep, water and meals recorded daily - Reports your doctor can read [See how Miggry works](https://lucernel.com/apps/miggry) ## Sources (checked 2026-09-26) - [MedlinePlus: Migraine](https://medlineplus.gov/migraine.html) - [MedlinePlus: Headache](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003024.htm)